I remember printing that out and reading it many, many times over 14 years ago trying to figure out how to fly.
I also remember doing a whole heck of a lot of hand wagglin' trying to wrap my brains around it.
Great stuff.
(Bypassing other posts after Lute's)
This is very good stuff. As I learned and taught it, there are only three types of combat merges: "Positive", "Negative" and "Neutral" to put simple names on them. Each is defined by the relative E state of the opponents, but the name relates to whichever pilot is considering it.
In other words, I'm in a "Positive" merge with an opponent if I have a significant advantage in E state over him, primarily (but not exclusively) considering relative altitudes. Conversely, he would be in a "Negative" merge from his viewpoint. If our E states are relatively equal in terms of altitude and airspeed, then we are essentially Co-E, or both of us are in a "Neutral" merge.
Why is this important? Because, for each type of merge the initial objective of the pilot is different, and there are different ACM that should be performed (and some that should not) in each situation.
Consider you are in a Positive merge (your bandit is in a Negative merge) [
by the way, a merge does not automatically mean you are heading directly towards each other, but that you are closing in someway towards an engagement] then your initial objective is to close for a guns solution while MAINTAINING control and initiative of the fight until you reach it.
If you are in a Negative merge, then you're ONLY initial objective is to achieve a Co-E state any way you can, BEFORE attempting to maneuver for a guns solution. Assuming you have not been blindly jumped by a bandit at less than 2K, you should turn away to achieve separation or reduce the rate of closure. At the same time you climb to try to achieve a Co-E state, which means gaining altitude. When the bandit attacks during this (and depending upon A/C types, etc.) you do an avoidance ACM that will minimize your E loss (and possibly maximize his), then IF he hasn't made a drastic offensive ACM mistake that you can pounce on, you continue to climb for Co-Alt at a minimum. Rinse and repeat as needed until you reach Co-E and can turn equally with him.
If you are Neutral then your objective is to LEAD the fight, meaning you plan and maneuver your approach into the merge (which in this case is often HO) so as to gain OODA Loop (look it up
) advantage over your opponent. Or in other words, you want to Lead Turn first and best. There are tricks, especially in the AH HO-centric world, to do this.
The ultimate goal is always to get the kill shot, but each type of merge requires different objectives to reach it. If you know this, and fly accordingly, you won't be climbing up to bandits just to get killed or overshooting an easy kill to the same result.
There are more situational details that help define these merges and must be considered, and some specific manuevers to consider using in each, but this is the basic thumbnail explanation.
